Bitcoin Privacy Developer Gets 5 Years in Prison: What It Means for Crypto
The case raises serious questions about whether building privacy tools is now considered a crime.
The Maximum Sentence
On November 6, 2025, Keonne Rodriguez was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in creating Samourai Wallet, a Bitcoin privacy tool. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote handed down the harshest possible punishment for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Rodriguez also received a $250,000 fine. The judge ordered that half of any money he earns in prison must go toward paying this fine. After his release, a quarter of his income will be taken until the fine is paid in full. Rodriguez had already paid $6.3 million before sentencing, which his lawyer called unusual.
His co-founder…
